The death toll of 2009 keeps growing; the New York Aquarium has just announced that their walrus Akituusaq has died after suffering complications from pneumonia. Their statement reads: "During the past few days, Akituusaq had been under special care by Wildlife Conservation Society veterinarians and received round-the-clock attention. Working tirelessly, WCS staff closely monitored his status and provided dedicated medical care. We are deeply saddened by the loss of our beloved walrus Akituusaq and are proud of the exemplary care that our entire staff provided during this critical time. We know Brooklyn was proud of Akituusaq and many loved him. This is a loss to the whole community." As you might recall, he only just celebrated his 2nd birthday; he was born in the aquarium on June 12th, 2007—and the WCS noted that "walrus births in aquariums are very rare with only 5 surviving to one year of age." more ›

Seems like just yesterday that Brooklyn's baby walrus was getting a name, but now at just over a year old Akituusaq he's gotten his tusks, or rather titanium crowns on his tusks! The Daily News reports that he "was fitted with the caps after his keepers noticed the tips of his tiny tusks were already wearing away." Rather than risk a bacterial infection in his tusks, he received some dental bling. A curator at the New York Aquarium joked about "putting a diamond in one, or having a laser etch his initials in the other." On a more serious tip, however, the Aquarium lost the baby's father, Ayveg, earlier this year, and is likely be extra careful with his offspring. more ›